The annual meeting of Boston Borough Council's Full Council was scheduled to address the establishment of democratic arrangements for the upcoming municipal year and review the performance and Memorandum of Agreement for the South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership. The meeting also included the formal election of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor.

Democratic Arrangements 2026/27

A report by John Medler, Service Director – Legal & Governance, outlined the proposed democratic arrangements for the Council's committees, sub-committees, panels, and working groups for the 2026/27 municipal year. The recommendations included approving the establishment of these bodies, allocating seats to political groups, and making nominations for chairmen and vice-chairmen. The report also detailed the proposed programme of ordinary council and committee meetings for the year, noted the membership of the Cabinet and its portfolios, and put forward nominations for appointments to outside bodies. Additionally, it recommended the re-appointment of Amanda Boustred and David Irvine as the Council's Independent Persons for a two-year term, and the re-appointment of Simon Sperring, Chris Penney, and Nicci Marzec to the Council's Independent Remuneration Panel for a similar term.

South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership Performance Report and Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)

James Gilbert, Service Director – Corporate Services, presented a report on the progress of the South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership. The report detailed the activities within the Alignment and Delivery Plan, highlighting that 81% of planned activities for 2025/26 were completed or on track. It also provided an update on external funding secured by the Partnership, totalling £277,894,888 since August 2020. The report indicated that the Partnership was on track to achieve its efficiency savings target. Updates were provided on the four priority partnerships: Growth and Prosperity, Healthy Lives, Safer Communities, and Environment. The report also touched upon the ongoing preparatory work for Local Government Reorganisation in Greater Lincolnshire. A key element of the report was the proposed revised Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the Partnership, which aimed to reflect its embedded status and incorporate feedback from previous scrutiny. Key changes included amendments to the Terms of Reference for the Joint Strategy Board, the Joint Chief Officer Employment Panel, and a move to annual partnership performance reports to Council. The MOA also proposed flexibility around partnership scrutiny and extended the termination and withdrawal period from 12 to 18 months.

Election of Mayor and Deputy Mayor

As part of the annual meeting's proceedings, the council was scheduled to elect its Mayor and Deputy Mayor for the forthcoming year. The agenda also included a vote of thanks to the retiring Mayor and Deputy Mayor, and a mention of the Mayor's Scout and Mayoress' Guide.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

The council was also due to receive and agree the minutes from the previous Full Council meeting held on 2nd March 2026.